Among those that we found is this particular Russian site that comes off as a one-stop-shop for those looking to purchase followers, likes, retweets, and other activities for social networks like Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Instagram.

Figure 1. Scam site selling followers for different social networks

The required payment would depend on the number of followers, retweets, or likes preferred. The payment process requires the customer to transact via payment sites like interkassa.com and ligpay.com (for mobile users).

Figure 2. Payment options for buying followers, retweets, or likes

In the end, as with the other cases we’ve reported, no followers, retweets, or likes is provided to the customer, only the risk of information and money theft.

This comes as an easy way for cybercriminals to make money, since influence in social media depends greatly on the number of followers an entity has. This type of scheme works, as many users are being lured by the idea of acquiring a huge number of followers in a very short amount of time, and with almost no effort at all.

That said, it is important to note to those who are interested in employing such services that doing so leads to more harm than good. This scheme has been consistent in terms of duping users, regardless of whether they offer Instagram followers for free, or for a paid amount. With this, we recommend users to not employ such schemes. These services either just scam their customers by not delivering their promised service, or actually deliver, but do so through dubious means (usage of malicious scripts or botnets).

The site reported above is already blocked by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network to protect users from being victimized.